Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Mistakes new designers make

I might lose some followers after today's post. I have noticed some things that new designers do (that I have observed over the past year) that shoots herself in the foot and hinders her reputation in the field. I'm not singling anyone out, matter of fact I have seen these mistakes by more than one new designer.

The moment you say that you are designing your own creations, when people read your blog or visit your facebook or flikr, people will assume that all images you show are your designs. Therefor, if you make a crocheted project from someone else's design, please give credit to the designer so that it does not appear that you are claiming the design as your own.

Also, if you use a photograph that you did not take, you should give credit or a link to who it belongs to. Photos are copyrighted too, although, I admit, in this internet world, people can steal photos easily and it may not feel like a big deal, but if you want others to respect your creative work, then you need to have a habit of respecting others' creative work. Editors will recognize their publication's photographs when they stumble upon them.

Ok, the last one. If you attend either a free or for fee crochet or knitting class. The instructor may hand out notes as part of the class. Usually somewhere on the notes will be a note about the instructor's copyright. Please do not distribute the teacher's notes to others. The teacher makes her income on the classes. If it is a free class, the teacher is still building upon her reputation on the class, which adds to her income. If a person who is not at the class, reads the notes, becomes confused and is unable to benefit from the teacher's explanation on the topic, the reader may have an unfavorable opinion of the teacher. Even if the teacher is offering the class for free, she may decide to offer the class for a fee later, or if others get the notes, they may decide not to take her class in the future. They already have the information, right?

Thank you for letting me vent. I admit, I'm not really "up" for a debate on this issue. I will publish your dissenting opinions as comments (if stated politely) but I'm not going to argue.

Thank you for spreading the word about copyrights, etc. My husband is a photographer and we are very sensitive to giving people credit (and fees) when they are appropriate. That's how he makes a living.

I feel as passionately about this as you and the other readers!! Even my soon-to-be kindergartener knows taking credit for someone else's work is wrong! You'll never loose me as a reader for standing up on this topic! Have a great day!--Haley :o)

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Copyright Ellen Gormley, 2017. Crochet design is how I bring income to my family. Please do not take, copy, share, or borrow any information or imagery from this site including photos and written text without my permission. For further information about how copyright hurts designers and consumers, please go to http://www.craftdesigns4you.com/stop.htmUse of the name "GoCrochet"TM is prohibited. This blog is the sole property of Ellen Gormley and is not representative of any company with whom I have worked with, for, or in partnership with.